Penticton City Council held a special meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, to address the sale of a vulnerable woman's home for unpaid taxes.

(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

Penticton city council offered an official apology and voted to reimburse a vulnerable woman negatively impacted by the forced sale of her property and subsequent eviction.

The B.C. Ombudsperson slammed the City of Penticton after it forced a vulnerable woman out of her home and then sold it for half the market value due to a $10,000 unpaid tax bill. The 60-year-old had "personal challenges" that made it difficult to pay the bill, even though she had the funds. However, the City of Penticton still went ahead and sold her home in a tax sale auction for $150,000 – less than half of its assessed value.

The Ombudsperson recommended the City reimburse Ms. Wilson, a pseudonym to protect her identity, and the council voted today, Dec. 14, to apologize and write her a cheque for $140,000.

During the special council meeting Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki said there is another side to the tax sale story. The sale took place during the previous council’s tenure, he said, adding that council was not deserving of the harsh statements that were directed their way over the past week.

Vassilaki said there are important facts missing from the B.C. Ombudsperson's report, and that many of the details cannot be disclosed publicly.

READ MORE: Police investigating after Penticton city hall vandalized

To try and improve provincial legislation relating to tax sales, the mayor said the City will bring a resolution to Southern Interior Local Government Association in the spring, which will hopefully get approval in order to advance to the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September.

And whatever comes of the City’s advocacy, council can always strengthen whatever province regulations are in place, Vassilaki said. 

"She needs funding for the next 20 years, perhaps she’ll still be alive," he said. "And she needs that funding to be able to survive and lead a comfortable life."

The motion to reimburse Ms. Willson passed after the mayor, along with four other councillors, voted in favour. The lone vote against was from councillor Campbell Watt.

Watt agreed with council that the situation was tragic and said there is a “terrible lack in our legislative guidelines and requirements.”

But he feels like Ms. Wilson fell through the cracks because of provincially flawed legislation, not because of negligence on behalf of the City.

It was the most conflicted Watt has even been during his seven years on council, he said, but he doesn’t believe the City should be paying the cost of a tax sale that was performed legally. Watt said his heart is full of compassion for Ms. Wilson, and he agrees that she was ripped off. But he doesn’t believe the City should be cutting her a cheque.

“We’re not paying it, the taxpayers are,” Watt told his fellow councillors.

The $140,000 bill will cost every man, woman and child in the city an average of $4.15, based on the 2016 Census which counted 33,761 residents. 

“Do I want to pay $140,000 for it knowing that someone was called and told us don’t call me back again – I’m not sure if I do,” Watt said.

He wonders what level of diligence the City is expected to show before deciding that somebody behind on their taxes is in a strong enough mental state to have their home auctioned off. 

"By us accepting responsibility and paying the amount the Ombudsperson recommends, we’re actually telling the taxpayers, it’s your fault, and I'm not going to be OK with that as much as I want to be,” Watt said.

READ MORE: 'Just one phone call:' Sister of woman who lost home in Penticton tax sale demands change

Councillor Frank Regehr called the tax sale a black eye on the City and by paying Ms. Wilson the recommended amount, he said he hopes “that we can put this behind us.”

Councillor Julius Bloomfield said he wanted to show some compassion despite the fact that the City did nothing legally wrong.

“I believe the majority of people would be happy for us to show some compassion,” he said.

Councillor James Miller said reimbursing Ms. Wilson gave the city the chance to right a wrong. 

"Yes, the City did do everything legally correct, but sometimes legally and morally are two different things," Miller said. 

Councillor Judy Sentes said she hopes the situation will serve as the “impetus” that results in provincial reforms to the process.

“It is overdue and truly is necessary,” she said.

Councillor Katie Robinson was absent from the meeting.

— Story updated at 4:27 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 to include comment from councillors.

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